After our shenanigans in Bryant Park with Lauren (my jumping partner for the Jump File), Tyler and I walked over to Lincoln Center for the Ayiti Rasanble festival. Ayiti Rasanble, translated: Haiti Together, was part of Lincoln Center out of Doors events listed in Time Out New York. I seriously can’t express the joy I felt when I read about it a few weeks ago. As an ultimate representative of Haiti and avid supporter of Haitian arts and culture, I knew it was something I was not going to miss. The idea of watching traditional Haitian dancers perform right in my city made my heart jump to a rapid beat like the drumming of Ibo I was going to hear that day.

The dancers were all beautiful, strong Haitian women, wearing the vibrant carribean colors of Haiti with pride. The drums lifted me from my seat, and I danced amongst all my Haitian and non-Haitian friends despite my makeup melting under heat, and my dress transforming from a magenta hue to a deep purple due to my sweating profusely. I smiled at the older ladies stomping their feet to the drums, dancing with their eyes closed.

My favorite part was when Raram left the stage to form an actual Rara line just like they would in Haiti around Lincoln Center. Naturally, I joined the crowd of people and followed them while dancing in a line, letting the music take me, and pretending just for three minutes, I was in Haiti. Before I left, I noticed a little boy with his dad, holding the Haitian flag. I approached them to take a picture, and the little boy decided to wrap me in the flag. Ayiti Rasanble was one of my all time favorite events I’ve been to in New York City.

About Paola

Paola Mathe is a lover of red lipstick, epic adventures, African headwraps, and all things vintage and romantic. She's just a passionate dreamer from a small town in Haiti who lives in Harlem and purposely gets lost in New York City.